Puy de Fou theme park

Sat 22 Feb, 14:27

Thank you Matthew.  

A very interesting article.

Sat 22 Feb, 11:28

Very long article about this proposed theme park in Oxfordshire in the Guardian today:

Far-right links and Putin praise: fears over £600m UK history theme park plan

TL;DR: "Some who live near the site, however, are dismayed at the lack of attention given to what they see as the French company’s dark underbelly, including ties to the far right and a past flirtation with Vladimir Putin. They question who their prospective new neighbours really are and what version of British history they plan to tell."

Sun 2 Feb, 21:30

The original I believe, which was very good, albeit a few years ago.

Fri 31 Jan, 14:19

I wonder if Walt Disney generated the same interest......... 

Fri 31 Jan, 10:19 (last edited on Fri 31 Jan, 10:21)

I don't think the 2 theme parks are at all similar.

Great Wolf Lodge at Chesterton seems to be a pretty standard theme park, with fairground rides, swimming pools, golf etc. 

By contrast, Puy Du Fou will involve a new 50-acre forest, plus gardens, hand-built "villages" and no rides -- instead live performances, with actors, based round historically based themes. As such, it will attract the kind of visitors who would also want to visit Blenheim and Stratford. Quite a few of these would be expected to stay in the area, and provide increased trade for pubs, restaurants and also air B&Bs.

It should also provide many jobs for young people and older workers too, including the craftspeople who will be expected to build the "villages" using original materials and techniques. So, yes, I would certainly expect it to have impacts on Charlbury. 

I do find the initial responses here, with the focus on house prices, extremely depressing. There are other things that matter more, and it's also surely pretty narrow minded to declare in advance that one wouldn't be seen dead visiting the place ...

Thu 30 Jan, 17:40 (last edited on Thu 30 Jan, 23:05)

Sorry Michael, could you please clarify something for me. The trend for house prices in Charlbury is up. In fact it is always up. The Bull and the Nottinghillisation of Charlbury pushes house prices around here up even more. Why is it that a second theme park in Bicester (a few miles on from the yet to be completed Wolf Lodge) will push the house prices here up even more? I just dont see the connection. I thought that 18 miles away would be far enough away not to have an impact. Do you think that it would increase demand for more Air BnB's and second homes which are the greatest threat to Charlburys survival as a real town? 

Thu 30 Jan, 05:40

Would I go to it? Never in a thousand years. But then I never go to Blenheim.

Will loads of other people go to it? Certainly.

Will those loads of other people going to Bucknell mean more people coming to Charlbury and wanting to spend money here? Certainly

Will that mean higher Charlbury house prices? Certainly  

So what does that mean? Lots of people are going to moan, and local authorities in the Oxfordshire-Cambridgeshire Corridor are going to have to allow more housing etc (but not actually in Charlbury because it's mostly a Conservation Area  and  it's in an AONB). But, taken together with Rachel Reeves' Jan 29 announcements and brilliant management by the Leader of Oxfordshire County Council, the Puy de Dome proposal is going to mean this area is going to lead Britain - and possibly the rest of Europe - in its economic growth by 2030. And anyone who doesn't like that is going to have to put up with it or migrate to Skegness or Mar a Lago.  

Meanwhile, houses prices in Charlbury are going to grow even faster - so anyone who cares about the even greater pressure that'll put on people who can't afford them needs to stop whining and devote the time they're wasting by whining to working, or raising money for,  organisations like Shelter or Crisis or Providence Row.

Or they could try life as a tax exile in Dubai...

Wed 29 Jan, 19:01

Oh Lord.  May the Saints preserve us.

Wed 29 Jan, 17:41

I thought people might like to look at -- and possibly also respond to -- plans for the proposed Puy de Fou historical theme park at Bucknell, near the M40 and Ardley, approximately 17 miles from here.

The consultation portal is here: https://www.puydufouconsultation.co.uk/